Dirigible flying-machine.



B. P. @BYMOER, JR. DIR-IGIBLE FLYING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED DEG. a, 1909.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

6K R an R 3 mm wumm @jg w of E flwz g DIBIGIBLE FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. a, 1909.

I B. F. SEYMOUR, JR.

1,054,798. Patented M21124, 1913.

I/a 3 SHEETS-SHBET 2. /7 4,. Q M. M I a "u I W 22 J ex 2 I 4/ 4 I" 6 I 4 44 B. F. SEYMOUR, JR. DIRIGIBLE FLYING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 3, 1909.

1,054,?98. Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- BENJAMIN F. SEYMOUR, JR., F DENVER, COLORADO.

DIRIGIBLE FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 3, 1909. Serial No. 531,188.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SEY- MOUR, Jr., a citizen of the United States, re-

siding in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible l lying-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which'form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in airships or flying machines, my object being in this particular application to produce a practicable flying machine by theuse of a special construction and arrangement of helicopters, both for lifting purposes and for horizontal propulsion.

The vital principle of my improvement consists in a construction which shall prevent.the formation of a vacuum or. atmospheric concavity due to the rapid movement of the propellers.

, It is well known that in the use of ordinary propellers, whether for lifting purposes or for propulsion in a horizontal plane, in aerial navigation, there is a tendency which increases with the speed of rotation, for the propellers to produce an atmospheric concavity, thus making the speed to which the propellers can be advantageousl subjected, necessarily limited, since a spec is possible which will either produce a practical vacuum within the zone of rotation or so rarefy the atmosphere that there will-be practically no medium of.resistance for the propeller blades to act upon; It is for this reason that helicopters, both for lifting purposes and for horizontal propulsion have heretofore been unsuccessfully employed.

In my present improvement I employ two elements to overcome the diificulty heretofore mentioned. In the first place the blades of the propellers are equipped with deflecting plates which resist the tendency of the air to leave the center of rotation and;

escape at the periphery of the propeller.

Again, the propeller is confined within a chamber open at both extremities to permit the entrance and escape of air. The deflecting blades have a tendency to drive the air downwardly, thus preventing its escape in an outward direction in the zone of rotation, due to centrifugal force. It is evident that this principle may be employed on either dirigible air-ships or flying machines or upon the aeroplane type of machines, asfmay be desired.

Having briefly outlined my im roved construction, I will proceed to descrl e the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the balloon or buoyant body, also cutting the cylinders in which the helicopters are located. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale, showing one of the helicopter cylinders and the apparatus employed in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1, looking u wardly or in the direction of arrow 3. In this view only two deflectors for each blade are illustrated, while in Fig. 2 three are shown. Fig. 4 is a similar section, looking downwardly or in the direction indicated by arrow 4. Fig. 5

is an edge view of one of the blades of the construction shown in Fig.3. Fig. 6 is asection taken on the line 66,Fig. 3,viewed in the direction of the arrow or looking toward the center of the propeller. Figs. 7 and 8 show the same construction as Fig. 6 but with the parts in different relative positions.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a suitable framework having upright posts 6 upon which is mounted a balloon or buoyant body 7, through which pass two cylinders 8, whose axes extend in a vertical direction when the platform of the frame work is in a horizontal position. In other words, in the form of construction shown in the drawing, the axes of the cylinders extend at right angles to the plane of the platform. Passing through the vertical center of each cylinder is a shaft 9 mounted to rotate in bearings 10 is mounted on a cross bar 14 secured to' the top of the cylinder. Adjustably mounted upon the upper portion of the shaft 9 is a propeller 15, having blades 16 provided at their outer extremities with deflectors 17. The deflectors .17 are hinged get their outer extremities as shown at 80,,and adjustable on their hinges, whose axes extendtransversely of the blades, to vary the angle formed by the said deflectors with the blades. Between the deflectors 17 and the inner extremity of each blade are located additional deflectors 19 which are centrally pivoted as shown at 81 to permit the said deflectors to occupy any angle with a radial line passed through the blade from the center of motion. Each deflector l7 and 19 is composed of two members 20 and 21, connected by bolts 22. These bolts pass through slots 23 and 24 formed in the respective members. By loosening the nuts 25 upon the bolts, the member 21 may be adjusted at pleasure upon the member 20, the member 21 being swung upon one bolt as a center. By virtue of this adjustment the deflecting plates are adjustable to regulate their surface area. p

The slots 23 in the member 20 are straight and parallel and the bolts may be moved bodily in these slots for the purpose of reducing the area of any deflector to. a minimum. When it is desired to increase the area of a deflector, the plate 21 is first adjusted, which is permissible by moving the bolts in the straight slots of the member 20, for the desired distance. After this is done,

the member 21 may be swung upon either bolt as a center, for the purpose of increasing the width of the deflector at one end. By virtue of this adjustment, the upper edge of the deflector member 21 may be brought into a horizontal plane in the case of a propeller rotating on a vertical axis and having blades inclined, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. By increasing the width of the deflector by raising the extremity of the member 21, the

upper edge of the latter may be brought into a horizontal plane, thus enabling it to better perform its function, as hereinafter explained.

Adjustably mounted within the cylinders 8 are auxiliary cylinders 26, having deflectors 27, projecting inwardly from their inner walls, whereby the tendency of the air to rotate or whirl within the cylinders is overcome. since the tendency for the air to more in circular currents is prevented. The lower extremity of each auxiliary cylinder is inwardly flared. as shown at 28, whereby the air, as it escapes at the bottom of the cylinders. is directed toward the center. This construction is important from the fact that it overcomes the tendency of a whirling body to produce a central vacuum, the magif nitude or volume of which will depend upon the speed of its rotary travel.

The auxiliary cylinders are arranged to telescope within the main cylinders 8 and are vertically adjustable on the shafts 9 I through the instrumentality of an operating screw-shaft 29, threaded in a nut 30, mounted on a stationary support 31. One extremity of this screw-shaft is equipped with a handle 32, located at the rim of awheel 33, for convenience of manipulation. The opposite extremity of this screw-shaft is pivotally connected as shown at 34 with an arm 35 of a bellcrank lever 36, fulcrunied at 37 and whose arm 38 is pivotally connected as shown at 39 with a rod 40, whose upper extremity is pivoted as shown at 41 to a hub 42, throughwhich the shaft 9 passes. This hub is connected with the auxiliary cylinder by spokes 43.

Below the cylinders, the structure is equipped with cone-shaped deflectors 44,

which are also mbunted upon an adjustable support 45, composed of two members 46 and 47, connected by bolts 48. The member 47 of the support is slotted, as shown at 4,

(see Fig. 2), to receive the bolts to which fastening nuts are applied. By loosening these nuts the member 47 may be moved .ver-

tically in either direction for the purpose of regulating the height of the deflector. The bearing 10 for each shaft 9, heretofore referred to, is formed integral with the upper part of each cone-shaped deflector 44. Attention is called to the fact that each deflector 44 is slotted as shown at 48 to permit the movement of the bellcrank lever 36Iand the connecting rod 40.

In addition to the lifting propellers, the apparatus is equipped with a propeller 49, for horizontal propulsion, the last named propeller being substantially the same as the propeller 15, except that the propeller 49 has a relatively narrow outer rim or casing 50, which serves to prevent the escape of the air at the outer extremities of the propeller blades, when the propeller is ilraction. In ,this event the deflectors 17 are not employed, the outer extremities of the propeller blades being secured directly to the casing 50 by means of bolts 51. These blades, however, are equipped with deflectors 19 located on the inner side intermediate their extremities, which are substantially the same as the deflectors applied to the blades of the propellers 15. The propeller 49 is mounted on a shaft 52 which is connected with'a shaft 53 of an engine 54, by means of gears 55 and 56. The shaft 52 is supported by bearings 57 applied to the lower surface of the platform 5.

The shaft 9 to the right is connected with the engine shaft by gears 58, 59, a shaft 60 and bevel gears 61 and 62, the latter being mounted on the shaft 9.- The gear 61 is slidable on the shaft 60 whereby it may be disconnected from the gear 62 when it is desired to throw the machineout of gear. This is accomplished by a lever 63 forked at 64 to engage a collar 65 slidable on the'shaft 60 and connected with the gear 61. Connected with the upper extremity of this lever is an adjusting rod 66 located within convenient reach of the the apparatus, thrown into or person in charge of whereby the gear 61. may be out of mesh with the gear 62 as may be desired. Each shaft 9 is controlled and operated substantially'in the same manner, the shaft 9 toward the left see Fig. 1) being connected with the engine shaft by means of gears 67 and 68, the

last named gear being mounted on a shaft 69, whose opposite extremity is equipped with a bevel gear '71, meshing with a gear 72 fast on the shaft 9. Attention is called to thefact that on the left hand side of the machine, screw-shaft 29 is of less length than that shown at the right of the drawing.

When the apparatus is in use, it may be assumed that the propellers are all in motion and that the propellers 15 perform the lifting function while the pro eller 49 acts to propel the machine in a horizontal direction. When these propellers are in motion the tendency would be, in the absence of the deflectors and the surrounding casing, to force the air outwardly and produce. a vacuum or partial vacuum due to the centrifugal force produced by their rotary action. However, by surrounding the outer extremities of the propeller blades, with a casing or by equipping the outer extremities of these blades with deflectors which act in harmony or cooperatewith a cylinder or casing, the aforesaid difliculty is practically overcome. In the case of the vertical propellers the outer extremities of the blades'are equipped with deflectors, thesaid propeller blades also being mounted to rotate in a cylinder, whereby the air is downwardly directed during the upward movement of the apparatus. With all of these propellers in motion, the airship will rise in the atmosphere and travel in a horizontal direction simultaneously, thus taking an upward course at any desired angle to the horizontal. If it is desired to rise directly or in a vertical direction, the propeller 49 need not be employed; while after the apparatus has reached the desired elevation the vertical propellers need not be used, except so far as may be necessary to cause the apparatus to maintain its attained elevation. It is evident that any desired number of vertical propellers may be employed, depending upon the weight of the airship and the load to be carried. These propellers may all be simultaneously operated or only a portion thereof, as may be desired, the

77 of the lever, these two as shown in the drawings, the able cone-shaped deflectors 44,

propellers being readily disconnected from the engine shaft when desired, by shifting the gears 61 or 71 upon their shafts, as heretofore explained. The shifting of the gear 71 is accomplished by operating a bellcrank lever 73, fulcruined at 74. An arm 75. of this lever engages a collar 76 fast on the gear 71, while the other arm 77 of the lever is normally acted upon by a coil-spring 78, which maintains the gear in question in mesh with its companion gear 72. However, by pressing downwardly upon the arm gears may be disconnected, as will be readily understood. In order to give additional strength and security to the deflectors 17 of the propellers 15 (see Fig. 2), the deflectors may be connected with the pro eller blades by means of tie-rods or wires 79, by the employment of'which the angle formed by the deflectors 17 with the blades may be regulated.

Withreference to the vertically adjustit may be stated that these devices are employed to control the passage of air through the cylinders and by adjusting them the air passage may be controlled. The nearer these devices are to the lower extremities of the cylinders, the more resistance they will offer to the passage of the air, thus diminishing the efl icient action of the propellers for lifting purposes. In other words the speed of the upward movement of the machine may be regulated by the adjustment of these de flectors, without resorting to other means.

.Attention is called to the fact that the lifting upon their shafts 9 whereby they may be brought into their respective cylinders or chambers to any degree desired or that may be found necessary under varying circumstances. For this purpose each shaft is threaded as shown at A to fit the interiorly threaded hub B of the propeller. Below the propellers hub is a locking nut 0.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. A propeller of the helicopter style in which the blades are equipped with deflectors adjustable to extend and shorten their width and arranged to resist the outward tendency of the air due to the propcllers rotation, substantially as described.

2. A propeller of the helicopter type whose blades are equipped with deflectors located between their extremities and adjustable to extend and shorten their width, substantially as described.

3. A propeller of the helicopter type in whichthe blades are equipped with deflectors adjustable at right angles to the blades, and arranged to resist the outward tendency of the atmospheridue to the action of centrifugal force. resulting from the rotation of the propeller. 4

propellers are vertically adjustable type, the blades 0 the purpose set 4. A propeller of the helicopter type whose blades are equipped with deflectors to resist the outward tendency of the air,

resulting from centrifugal force, each deflector being composed of two members adapted to overlap, one of the members having parallelslots devices are passed, while the other memberhas curved slots through which the said fastening devices also pass, for the purpose set forth.

' 5. An air ship pro eller of the helicopter the propeller being equipped with deflectors arranged transversely of the blades and adjustable at right angles thereto, for the purposeset forth.

6. An air ship propeller adapted to rotate on a vertical axis, the blades of the propeller being equipped wit-h deflectors extending transversely of the said blades, and adjustable at right angles thereto, for the purpose set forth.

7. An air ship equipped with cylinders, and propellers of the helicopter type arranged in said cylinders, and having deflectors arranged transversely of their blades and adjustable at right angles thereto, for forth.

8. A propeller having its blades equipped with deflectors adjustable at right angles to the blades for gfextending and shortening their width, for' the purpose set forth.

9. A'propell'er having its blades equipped with deflectors arranged transversely thereof and adjustable to vary their width, substantially as described.

10. A propeller blade equipped with deflectors arranged transversely thereof and adjustable at right angles to the blade to vary their width, substantially as described.

11. An aerial vessel, comprising a frame- I work, a buoyant body having cylinders pass- .whirl or rotate,

ing therethrough, each cylinder being composed of two members, one telescoping within the other and adjustably connected therewith, the inner cylinder having deflectors adapted to resist the tendency of the air to and propellers of the helicopter type having their axes coincident with the axes of the cylinders and adapted to rotate to cause the air passing therethrough to move downwardly through the cylinders, substantially as described.

12. A propeller blade equipped with a deflector, laterally adjustable to vary its width, for the purpose set forth.

13. A .dirigible airship comprising a framework, a buoyant body, vertically arranged chambers passing through the buoyant body and open at both extremities, propellers of the helicopter type located adjacent the chambers and having their axes coincident with the axes of the chambers, and cone-shaped deflectors arranged below the said chambers and having their axes cointhrough which fasteningcident with the axes of the chambers and adjustable in relation to the propellers.

1 1. An aerial vessel of the dirigible type comprising a framework, a buoyant body, vertically arranged cylinders passing through said body, shafts passing through the cylinders and equipped with propellers of the helicopter type,-means for rotating the shafts, the said chambers being open at both extremities, and vertically adjustable cone-shaped deflectors supported below the cylinders and having thelr axes coincident therewith.

15. The combination with a propeller, of a cone-shaped deflector adjustable in relation to the propellers and arranged in suitable proximity to the propeller, the axes of the two devicesbeing coincident.

. 16. The combination with a helicopter propeller, of an adjustable cone-shaped deflector, supported below the propellers and having its axis coincident with that of the propeller, for regulating the passage of air through the latter.

17,?Phe combination of a propeller, a vertically arranged open-ended'chamber in which the propeller is located, and a coneshaped deflector arranged below the chamberand vertically adjustable in relation to the-propeller, the axes of the three instrumentalities bein coincident. 7

18. A propel er provided with blades equipped with deflectors adjustable in a direction at right angles thereto, substantially as described.

19. A propeller equipped with blades, provided with transversely arranged deflectors .mounted upon pivots vertically placed with respect to the blades said deflectors being adjustable on their pivots to form any desired angle with a radial line passed longitudinally through the blade from the center of motion outwardly, substantially as described.

20. An aerial propeller equipped with blades having deflectors arranged transversely thereon and pivoted to vary the angle formed by the intersection of deflector and blade with a radial line extending through the blade from the axis of rotation, for the purpose set forth.

21. A propeller blade equipped with deflectors mounted on centrally disposed pivots and adjustable on said pivots to any desired angle formed by the intersection of deflector and blade with a radial line extendinglongitudinally through the blade from the axis of rotation, for the purpose set forth. j

22. A propeller equipped with blades provided with transversely arranged deflectors and tie rods secured at their inner ends to the blades and at their outer ends to the outer edges of the deflectors.

23. A propeller blade, a pivot rotatably mounted upon said blade and vertically arranged with respect thereto, and a deflector in presence 0 secured to said ivot.

said pivot in any position.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature f two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. SEYMOUR, JR.

Witnesses:

' JESSIE F. HOBART, ALBERT OBRIEN. 

